The Experience Economy and User Experience

The Experience Economy

Last week, I attended the Customer Focus North Conference held in Minneapolis. The day was filled with seasoned speakers and workshops centered around innovative and engaging ways to provide improved experiences for customers and employees.

Lou Carbone, the opening keynote speaker, discussed the relevance of the feelings that people have when they interact with a company. He reminded the audience that every experience leaves an impression - and whether good or bad – the emotion attached holds a monetary value.​

As a consumer, this message certainly resonated with me...

When shopping at Patagonia, for example, I feel proud to be supporting a company that strives to make a positive impact on the environment. When I shop at Trader Joe’s, I feel happy, maybe even joyful, because the employees offer to help, are singing as they work, and are having fun. For me, these positive feelings are associated with each brand as a whole.

Personally, I prefer interacting with businesses that are doing great things and that leave me feeling good after the experience is over. I might have positive feelings toward a brand because I am supporting a business that is striving to affect a greater social issue, or it may be because the environment was happy and inviting. It seems obvious to state this – because most people probably prefer that as well – but there are still countless businesses that have not adjusted how they do business to create positive customer and employee experiences.

“Emotion has monetary value.”

​- Lou Carbone

After the conference was done, I reflected on the day full of great insights and began thinking about all the existing companies that are currently successful without specifically being designed to create excellent experiences for their customers and employees. I wondered if and why it is really necessary for these businesses to invest valuable resources to “fix something that isn’t broken.”

After pondering this question for a few days, I recalled a book I recently read by Clay Shirky titled “Cognitive Surplus.” Shirky describes in great detail the changing social landscape that has been taking place since the early 2000’s. He describes how we are shifting from a world of “passive consumption” to a more interactive and participatory culture.

This change in social behavior is affecting how people are consuming and connecting. This is why I think it is important for businesses to start making efforts to shift how their businesses are designed. It isn’t just a marketing ploy that someone made up; it is part of a larger societal change that is taking place.